Kepler-1976 b
Kepler-1976 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting Kepler-1976 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 4,287 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2023 using the transit timing variations method.
How Big Is Kepler-1976 b?
Kepler-1976 b has a radius of 12.21 times that of Earth, or 1.09 times the radius of Jupiter.
Is Kepler-1976 b in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-1976 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-1976. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-1976: 0.797–1.880 AU (conservative: 1.009–1.783 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Temperature on Kepler-1976 b
The equilibrium temperature of Kepler-1976 b is about 1,103 K (830 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C. It receives 349 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Kepler-1976 b — one full orbit around Kepler-1976 — lasts 4.96 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.057 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Kepler-1976 b Discovered?
Kepler-1976 b was discovered in 2023 using the transit timing variations method, with observations from Kepler.
Transit timing variations reveal a planet through its gravitational tug on a sibling planet, which makes that sibling's transits arrive slightly early or late. The pattern of these deviations betrays the hidden planet's mass and orbit.
How Far Away Is Kepler-1976 b?
Kepler-1976 b is 4,287.4 light-years (1,314.5 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 4,287 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 75,458,240 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. Kepler-1976 b scores 0.08, ranking #4,772 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-1976
Kepler-1976
- Surface temperature
- 5,712 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.98 M☉
- Radius
- 1.08 R☉
Planetary System
Kepler-1976 b is the only planet known to orbit Kepler-1976 so far.
Kepler-1976 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 12.210 Earth radii (1.089 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 4.96 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.057 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,103 K (830 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 349.40× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.08 |
| Distance from Earth | 4,287.4 light-years (1,314.5 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Transit Timing Variations |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2023 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2017-05-08. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-1976 b
Is Kepler-1976 b habitable?
No — Kepler-1976 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-1976 b?
Kepler-1976 b is about 4,287 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 75,458,240 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-1976 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-1976 b has 12.21 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-1976 b?
One orbit around Kepler-1976 takes 5.0 Earth days — short enough that 74 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore Kepler-1976 b in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
